Impressive Celtic thrash Astana

Celtic have one foot in the Champions League group stage after thrashing kazakhstan side Astana 5-0 in their first-leg play-off tie at Celtic Park.

Two goals from Scott Sinclair either side of half-time, a Yevgeny Postnikov own-goal and strikes from James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths as good as confirms Celtic's place in the Champions League group stage draw, which takes place on August 24.

The dominant victory signals how far Brendan Rodgers and his side have come in just over a year, after they had to depend on a last-minute penalty from Moussa Demebele to beat the same opponents in last season's qualifiers.

Celtic will now have the formality of the second-leg, which takes place on August 22.

With a familiar packed Celtic Park cheering them on, it was the hosts who started the brighter and came close to opening the scoring with just three minutes played when Griffiths' free-kick on the left found Sinclair, but the 28-year-old failed to wrap his foot around the ball, instead slicing his effort just wide of the far post.

Griffiths managed to score a brace when the two sides met last season, but the Scottish international failed to find the net in the seventh minute after his header from close-range swished past the post.

Despite the away-side showing signs of intent, the Hoops carved out the opening goal when Tom Rogic's effort, which looked to be heading wide, was hooked into the net by Astana player, Postnikov.

And the home crowd were celebrating yet again with three minutes to half-time as Sinclair pounced on loose ball before calmly slotting his effort past Aleksandr Mokin, who managed to get minimal contact.

Both sides failed to conjure up any real chances after the break, until the 59th minute as Celtic extended their lead, be it in controversial circumstances when Rogic and Yuriy Logvinenko clashed heads in the middles of the park, rather than play coming to a halt, the advantage was given leaving Griffiths to play in Sinclair, and the former Manchester City winger finished through the legs of Mokin for his fifth goal of the season.

The visitors looked deflated and they had to pick the ball out of their net again in the 78th minute as Griffiths, once again, played a dissecting ball into Forrest whose low-hit effort crept inside the far corner.

And Griffiths, who was instrumental in the win, got his just rewards as he raced in and fired into the net, finishing off a near-perfect night for the Scottish champions.

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